Dissolving a Sugar Crystal Notes

The Dissolving a Sugar Crystal interactive is an adjustable-size file that displays nicely on tablets such as the iPad, on Chromebooks, and on laptops and desktops. It's use on phones is at best questionable. The size of the Interactive can be scaled to fit the device that it is displayed on. The compatibility with iPads, other tablets, and Chromebooks make it a perfect tool for use in a 1:1 classroom.

This is the companion simulation to our Dissolving a Salt Crystal Interactive. Together, these two simulations demonstrate why water is a universal solvent. Like the Dissolving a Salt Crystal simulation, this Interactive demonstrates what is meant by the term aqueous state. Students view a crystal of glucose undergoing dissolution one molecule at a time. Molecules of water approach the to-be-dissolve glucose molecule and orient themselves in a manner so as to attract the glucose and pull it away from the crystal. The simulation represents the intermolecular attractions between molecules by dashed lines. As the water approaches and orients itself to attract the H's and the O's of the glucose molecule, students can view the intermolecular attractions between water and glucose strengthening while the attractions between the glucose and the crystal weakens.

Students whose mental model is "the sugar is gone" will be challenged to re-think the phenomenon of dissolving. The model of the glucose molecule in the crystal having been pulled away from surrounding glucose molecules by the polar water molecules will become a more common description of what occurs when a crystal like sugar dissolves.

The simulation can be used as a demonstration or as the basis for a student activity. Currently we do not have a Student Activity Sheet. We hope to make one sometime in the near future.

We are currently at work on our Chemistry Tutorial and will soon have some pages on the topic of Solutions.